Purpose :
Overexpression of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin 1 (PS1) in APPPS1 mouse models for Alzheimer’s disease leads to early beta-amyloid plaque formation in the brain. It is controversial, however, whether beta-amyloid is also deposited in the retina. The aim of this study was to evaluate retinal beta-amyloid deposition in the APPPS1 mouse strain B6-Tg (Thy1-APPswe; Thy1-PS1 L166P) and its consequences for retinal cytoarchitecture.

Conclusions :
In the APPPS1 retina, beta-amyloid is localized in retinal ganglion cells and amacrine cells. Extracellular amyloid plaques as observed in the brain are not displayed in the retina. The presence of activated glia cells indicates that beta-amyloid deposition in retinal neurons elicits neuroinflammatory responses. Future studies will be needed to elucidate why beta-amyloid forms plaques in the brain but not in the retina of this mouse model.

This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.